Islamabad, Sep 2 (IANS) Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman, Barrister Gohar Ali Khan has announced that the party would boycott National Assembly (NA) sessions to protest against the “unfair treatment” of party lawmakers, local media reported on Tuesday.
While speaking to reporters alongside PTI members in Islamabad, Khan said, “From now on, we will not attend National Assembly sittings. We will protest and boycott instead.” He further said that PTI’s parliamentary party held a meeting at Khyber Pakhtunkhwa House, where they heard instructions given by PTI founder Imran Khan and supported them, Pakistan’s leading daily ‘The Express Tribune’ reported.
PTI chairman accused authorities of disqualifying PTI lawmakers, stripping them of their seats and silencing their voices. He said, “Even if we try to celebrate Independence Day, we are not allowed. Despite countless difficulties, we attended sessions to raise demands democratically, but we are not permitted to speak.”
Earlier in August, PTI lawmakers resigned from parliamentary standing committees after instructions given by PTI founder Imran Khan. The decision comes as part of PTI’s political strategy, which includes boycotting upcoming by-elections set to be held in the coming months.
PTI’s Members of National Assembly – Ali Asghar, Sajid Khan, Shahid Khattak, Faisal Amin Khan, and Asif Khan resigned from various National Assembly committees, Pakistan’s leading media outlet Geo News reported. Asghar quit the Cabinet, Privatisation, and Planning committees. Faisal Amin Khan stepped down from the the Economic Affairs, Food Security, and Parliamentary Task Force committees.
Khattak said that he was resigning from all standing committees, while Asif stepped down from the Education, National Heritage, Culture, and Information and Broadcasting committees. Junaid Akbar resigned as chairman of the Public Accounts Committee. Party sources said that the Pakistan’s National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq has got the resignations of Faisal and Ali. PTI spokesperson Sheikh Waqas Akram has also stepped down from all National Assembly standing committees.
–IANS
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